Dear Mark: Raw Eggs
A glassful of raw eggs incites mixed reactions for many of us. It’s routine for some and revulsion for others. Commonly associated with bodybuilders and boxers (the Rocky scene) who want to bulk up, a lot of folks who fit neither category include them on a regular basis for simple nutritional reasons. However, there’s more to the picture, as this reader’s email suggests.
Dear Mark,
I have searched the site to see if there is any pros/cons of eating raw eggs. I know in the past, CW says that eating raw eggs can create a biotin deficiency in our bodies. I like having a couple of raw eggs in my whey protein drink after a workout. Do you have any information that would be helpful in the use of raw eggs?
Eggs in general are a nutritional (and wholly Primal!) powerhouse with impressive supplies of selenium, iodine, phosphorus, molybdenum, choline, lutein, vitamins A, B2, B5, B12, E, D and K. Add to this a healthy 5.5 grams of protein, 20% of your RDA for tryptophan and essential fatty acids. But what’s the specific draw to raw eggs?
A lot of folks choose to eat raw eggs because some nutrients can be diminished by heating. (Although this is true of cooking just about anything, cooking also makes certain nutrients more bioavailable – hence the constant pull and push between the raw foodists and traditional cooks.) Some people feel any change in the chemical structure is to be avoided. Others don’t. Although some vitamins (like vitamins C, B6 and B9) are more fragile and lose potency during heating (the more/longer heat, the more loss), other nutrients are enhanced. As reader Tuscoyote noted in the forum a few months ago, researchers have found that egg protein is more bioavailable when heated. (Thanks for the NPR link, Tuscoyote!) Here’s the study referenced in that interview. The study showed that egg protein is more digestible (94% versus 55-64%) when heated, probably due to alteration of the protein’s structure and the ability of digestive enzymes to infiltrate peptide bonds. Whether you eat your eggs heated or raw (or a little of both) in part depends on your goal in eating them to begin with.
As for drawbacks, there’s the well-circulated salmonella risk, which isn’t the dire prospect it’s often made out to be. The risk has been estimated as 1 in 10,000 (CDC) or 1 in 30,000 (Risk Analysis journal). And though washing eggshells can reduce much of the risk, it doesn’t eliminate it entirely. Salmonella can be present in the yolk due to infection in the hen’s reproductive tissue.
Of course, not all eggs are created equal when it comes to salmonella or nutrition. Not only are organic, free range eggs more nutrient-dense, one study found them to be significantly less contaminated than battery cage hens. Hens that graze and eat a natural diet as well as have more space to roam (to avoid living in feces) are naturally healthier. While the survey determined a quarter of battery cage groups to be contaminated, only 5% of those that were both organic and free range showed contamination. (Free-range, non-organic came up at 6.5%.) Simple refrigeration can keep any salmonella bacteria from multiplying, which minimizes the risk of actual illness from contaminated eggs. In those who are very young, pregnant or immune-compromised, salmonella risk is more of a consideration.
As you mention, eating raw eggs carries the eventual risk of a biotin deficiency. Although egg yolk is actually a rich source of biotin, the white contains avidin, a glycoprotein that bonds with biotin, preventing the nutrient’s absorption. Avidin is generally inactivated when cooked, which makes the biotin in the yolk fully available for absorption by the body. You don’t have to rule out raw eggs by any means. I wouldn’t advise eating them daily for long stretches of time without a biotin supplement (supported within a B-complex intake, since these vitamins work synergistically). If you’re eating them just a few times a week, the risk for deficiency isn’t as great, but I would still do a supplement or at least make sure I was getting a hefty amount of biotin rich food (swiss chard, tomatoes, carrots, liver and others) the days I eat raw eggs. As a compromise, some folks will just eat the raw yolks alone and cook up the whites later.
All that said, raw eggs can be part of your Primal fare. (There are advantages to cooked eggs, but it’s however you enjoy them.) If you like raw eggs, I’d say have at it – with the above info in mind. If you would rather cook them, I’d suggest going easy on the heat to avoid overcooking. Some folks suggest choosing cooking methods that leave the egg yolk intact and soft (like sunny side up or poached) because of concerns about oxidizing the cholesterol. I’m not too concerned about the small amount that might result from my breakfast routine. For myself, I take a middle road (mostly for taste). Sometimes I do my omelets, but just as often these days I’ll poach them so the egg white is cooked and yolk runny. Just had two for breakfast in fact.
Let me know your take on raw versus runny versus fully cooked. For those who go raw or not, how do you eat them? Thanks for all your questions and comments, and keep ‘em coming!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
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I love eggs. I eat them raw in my protein shake. I fry them for lunch. I make custards with them for dessert. Cooked or raw, you can’t go wrong.
I start my mornings with a semi primal coffee. I’ve always been a cream and sugar coffee drinker so here’s my coffee. I heat up some eggs still in the shell in a pan with water to about 140 degrees, then drop in the 2 eggs and a few extra egg whites into a vitamix blender set on the lowest speed. bring some milk to a boil in the microwave and add it with some instant coffee and a little agave nectar and a tbsp or so of extra virgin coconut oil for flavor. Not entirely primal but so good.
I am wondering about oxidized cholesterol with the boil milk and yolks but I don’t think I’ll find an answer to that one.
I’m not one to tell someone what to eat cause I love pizza, but I do for most of the time eat healthy. First off, sugar is responsible for over 70 different health problems, so it might be a good idea to just avoid it or exchange it for pure stevia. Check out http://livingwellspinecenter.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup-monopoly-cracks if you don’t believe me. Secondly, your cream is most likely from homogenized and pasteurized dairy products. Also, not healthy. Read http://wewantorganicfood.com/2008/01/26/pasteurizing-milk-destroys-essential-nutrients/. Boiling milk kills off all the good that it does your body. Best milk to look for is organic grass fed raw milk. Google it. Most of the time, you have to go to a farm to look for it, but it’s worth it.
As far as your concern for oxidation, anytime you cook eggs, you oxidize the cholesterol in it which forms free radicals in your body. Raw eggs won’t do that to you. Same thing happens with milk. If you cook milk, you oxidize the cholesterol within it. Raw milk is far safer.
I’ve been researching eggs in general because my father has had a couple of strokes and has atrial fibrilation and someone said to feed him lots of eggs. He has avoided them for years because of the so-called cholesterol dangers. What I found is that among many nutrients, eggs are an excellent source of the amino acid, Taurine, which is very good for heart function (especially irregular heartbeat) and helps prevent strokes. When I shared this info with my mom, she said her friend’s father lived to 110 years old and drank 10 raw eggs blended with orange juice every single day. Even if you wouldn’t attribute his longevity to eggs, at the very least you could see that he couldn’t have had any significant biotin deficiency and there were obviously no cholesterol dangers associated with the eggs- especially that many eggs and for so long.
You look and sound like a dirty nasty skank hoe.
All right, that is sooo unnecessary it’s ridiculous, I wanted to post something in case you come back. If you tend to think of people like that you only start with yourself first….
Machine…..go crawl back into the hole you came from!
after confirming the details about raw eggs. i took my first ever raw egg (from free range )and its been pretty easy drinking it raw without blending it n stuff. lets hope for best
I primarily eat them in a scramble or sunny side up_ but this post makes me curious about raw eggs. I might whip up a pwo shake and crack some in.
My cousin used to just crack them straight into his mouth… Now that’s primal.
I also enjoy my eggs mostly scrambled. I enjoy them sunny side up other times too. I have been curious about raw eggs recently and will experiment by adding a couple to a smoothie.
If I learn to handle raw eggs in a smoothie then talk about a simple and easy meal to make!!
Mark, great post. Very interesting. Thanks for helping to shed some light on this issue.
I eat eggs every day. I’ve actually been doing the ADEAD (a dozen eggs a day) that you suggested in the ‘How to Lose Fat and Build Muscle’ post. It’s going really well. I like to eat them throughout the day all different ways. The best I’ve found are the ‘sunny side up’. They have a little bit of the raw goodness but the whites are mostly cooked…m-m-m-m-m eggy!
I think variety is the key here. Thanks for the information Mark!
I agree- variety is the spice of life! but i usually eat my eggs over easy to neutralize the avidin in the whites and not damage the cholesterol in the yolks!
The liver can then recognize the cholesterol (if yolk is raw) and produce less of its own natural cholesterol, which places less stress on the body.
I also love my hemp, chlorella, & nuts for protein too!
how about you?
The Cavebrother and I go through 35-40 eggs a week. Once or twice a week I put a couple in a shake. I didn’t know most of this… but it seems like I’m doing it right. Hooray for me.
I cook 2 eggs sunny side up on medium heat using about 20 grams of pasture butter in a small pan. Only cook them until the white is half done (mostly uncooked on top).
Then slide them onto a warm plate and pour the molten butter on the top of the egg white to cook the rest of the egg white. The yolk will stay almost uncooked.
Best of both worlds I think. Raw yolk and cooked whites.
Plus the liquid butter together with egg tastes phenomenal.
That, plus a 1/4 avocado and a hand full of raw spinach makes the perfect breakfast.
I pasteurize my eggs for putting in shakes. I’ve read that this increases the level of protein digested to that of cooked eggs and eliminates the biotin issue. The eggs also last longer in the fridge. Although I tend to go through them in a week anyway.
I love my eggs. Did the raw thing a couple of times, but I prefer lightly scrambled and/or sunny side up. My family keep telling me I eat to many because of mainstream nutrition “fact”. I just laugh and continue to eat about six a day.
If I’m cooking, the eggs are lightly fried in butter over low heat and covered. This cooks the white and spares the yolk.
If I’m going raw, I toss the white and fill a glass with five or six yolks. Maybe sprinkle a bit of black pepper, then down the hatch.
don’t forget about pickled eggs! I put some peeled hard-boiled eggs in with beets. In a couple days you have some lovely purple eggs to slice up for the big ass salad.
Rotating protein sources is important to keep away food allergies. Peanuts, shellfish, strawberries, chocolate, wheat, eggs and dairy are some of the more antigenic (irritating) foods, whereas rice is not that antigenic.
An elimination and reintroduction diet is an excellent way to determine allergies but it takes time, discipline and attention to detail.
Dude,
After going 25+ years of not eating eggs, they are (back?) in my diet – which you get a partial thanks for.
Scrambled with meat, plenty of veggies, a couple dashes of sriracha sauce, and maybe some sweet potatoes make for a most satisfying breakfast!
I like eggs. While I have eaten them raw, I never found them to taste as good that way. I usually eat them as an omelet or cooked over-easy in bacon grease. Yum!
The study on raw egg protein available was done on five ileostomy patients. Are there other studies that show the same thing but studied people in good health? Perhaps those patients were not adapted to raw eating or perhaps their condition skewed the results.
Actually these studies are best done on ileostomy patients, which is why it is sometimes very difficult to do a good bioavailability study. The idea is to distinguish between digestion and absorpiton by the human (via stomach and small intestine) vs. digestion / fermentation by its gut flora (in the large intestine). This cannot really be done while the large intestine is still hooked up.
Primatologist Richard Wrangham explains these studies in his latest book, “Catching Fire,” which describes some of the research on how nutritional bioavailability of certain foods may be increased by cooking (particularly meats, eggs and starchy roots).
http://books.google.com/books?id=RekfQAAACAAJ
I like my yolks soft/runny, hmm so creamy~
I dont’ like egg white in general…but I hate to waste, so I eat them anyways, but definitely cooked.
My six hens are giving me 4 eggs a day! Hopefully soon I will get 6 a day. I usually eat them fried in butter with with a runny yolk. I also hard boil some to take with me on the go.
Wow … I’d really like to try a raw egg, but it just looks so creepy! I’ll have to try one in a shake sometime. I cook my eggs pretty well … I like them crispy. But I will try to get used to them on the softer side. Thanks for the great post!
Well,i have resd thru most of these comments on eggs cooked or raw,and while i like eggs and i have had them every morning for as far back as i can remember. my chose is sunny side up with my bacon and a potatoe patty.i am now 77 and dispite some warnings from my doctor my health is fine,and of course i luv my egg nogg,wish i had agood recipie so i did not have to buy the stuff
Rusty, what do you feed your chickens? I’d like to raise some, but I’m not so sure that they need to eat grain. I know left to their own devices, they eat bugs. But if I want 4-5 in my backyard, what’s the best way to do it?
Countryside Organics has an excellent soy-free organic feed, although it is pricey compared to soy formulas. Grains don’t hurt chickens the same way they do ruminants, they actually do eat some naturally. They are omnivores, they eat anything! Including, as you said, bugs, but also small reptiles/amphibians, rodents, etc. But sufficient green plant matter is also important, that’s what gives pastured egg yolks their beautiful orange color. You can build your own mobile coop pretty easily and cheaply ($100ish for materials for the simplest designs, plus 4-8 hours labor) that you put them up in at night (they eventually put themselves up, you just have to lock the coop) to keep them safe from predators, and you can let them free range during the day. Then, when they eat up the grass where the coop is, you just pull the coop to give them a new patch. Hope that helps!
I would like to raise chickens. What is healthy and safe to feed them?
actually…free range chickens produce very healthy eggs and are more recommended than grain fed, the same can be said of beef/turkey etc.
I recently decided to lightly whip a raw egg in a fancy champagne glass and down it. It was a wonderful experience that I will repeat over and over. As a woman on the go it’s a breakfast that can’t get any easier!
Cooked eggs make me feel sick to my stomach. I eat raw yolks just fine.
I have been eating between 6-10 eggs everyday for the last 3 years. Just started using coconut oil for the scrambling!
I love eggs.
Charles Poliquin,a trainer of elite athletes wrote that hot tap water running over the eggs for 1 min. would eliminate the avidin issue and make the protein more bio available.I assume that is room temperature eggs.
Rusty, what do you feed your chickens? I’d like to raise some, but I’m not so sure that they need to eat grain. I know left to their own devices, they eat bugs. But if I want 4-5 in my backyard, what’s the best way to do it?
I have a small coop with a wire run. The coop has a box at the back where I can reach in and collect the eggs. They are fed laying pellets which does have grain. They are allowed to free range also and love eating bugs grass and lots of other stuff. I have seen them eat a frog before!
The chickens on our farm love fresh weeds and greens but also eat grain. They love the bugs and worms from fresh spread compost. Yum.
It sounds to me like you are on the right track,but if in doubt go to your local feed store and talk to someone there,these people are well versed ib all type of feed.
Anyone ever eat the shell?
I had a teammate in college who would put a whole egg, shell and all, in his protein shakes.
The shell is rich in calcium, so it certainly can’t hurt. Some people grind up the shell to use as a calcium supp.
I used to love soft boiled eggs, now i love raw egg yolks, I eat the yolks with a bowl of raw cultured (fermented) cream – usually kefir cream. It’s just like custard – and full of amazing fat. so satiating as well. I save up the egg whites, and usually cook them for my mum as i don’t care for egg whites much, but im thinking next time i might try and make meringues with stevia
Between myself, hubby, and the little sprouts in our home we go through at least seven dozen eggs a week – and that’s just breakfast. In general, they’re scrambled.
When I’m pregnant or want to boost milk supply for a nursing Grokling, I make a shake with two raw egg yolks in it daily (I just can’t do the whites raw).
I also love the raw yolk in steak tartare. That’s a tasty dish!
I like eggs cooked in any form, mainly poached. I very rarely eat raw eggs, maybe 3-4 times a year.
Organic eggs taste better.
I have chickens, and second the above comment that organic eggs taste better. There is a clear difference between the egg yolks in eggs from my chickens, and those bought at the store. They’re much deeper yellow, and a lot creamier.
If you’re eating homegrown eggs raw, please make sure that you’re thoroughly washing the shells of the eggs first, because they can contain loads of microorganisms.
I’ll pass on the raw eggs. I like to cook eggs sous vide so that the yolks are runny and the whites are like soft custard.